This Is Why I Work Out

We get to the top of the mountain, I pull up the map, look down, and have two thoughts:

1. I immensely regret not packing hiking gear.

2. We're going to die up here.

Elliot and I recently traveled to Scotland and went to the highlands for a couple of days.

Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Amazing. Wow! pictures & videos below for proof.

but we made a huge mistake.

Lemme set the scene:

Day 1 in the highlands - we do this super easy, chill hike that had a defined and dry path. We crush it, beating the estimated time by over an hour. We feel soooo fit and literally on top of the world.

At dinner, we decide we're going to take on a bigger hike the next day - with the estimated time being 4-6 hours, since we think we're s0o0o fit (sarcasm implied), it'll take max 4 and then we can do another hike later in the day.

The dead goat on the way up couldn't have been a clearer sign: TURN. AROUND.

We have no hiking gear. No poles, no boots, no gloves, no crampons. Nothing. We're literally in nobulls (my pair now reside in the Edinburgh trash)

there's ice, snow, mud, way too much goat poop, no defined path, and the steepest mountain I've ever climbed UP or DOWN.

We climb for 3 hours to the top, sometimes on all 4's, and it's snowing/sleeting/hailing and the wind is so strong we sometimes have to crouch down. Great views though! and then we look down the mountain and realize the hard part hasn't even started.

After some sketchy falls, a lot of pep talks, and admittedly, a few tears, we finally make it down 2-3 hours later. Talk about marriage bonding. (trauma bonding?)

I have never been so happy to be on dry, flat ground in my life.

And I've never been more grateful to have a body that's physically capable.

That is the only way I made it down that mountain without an injury or calling helicopter rescue (which was highly considered)

And it wasn't just the hike.

There were SO many moments on that trip where I thought:

This is why I workout, do hard things, and take care of my body. This is why I push myself. This is why I prioritize my health and being physically (and mentally) capable.

I felt so grateful for every hard thing I've done in the gym that allowed me to have the freedom to say yes - the freedom to do what I wanted without fear or pain or my body holding me back.

THIS is movement freedom.

Yes, we have to work for that freedom. we have to earn it. but having that freedom determines our quality of life.

Our bodies are either the reason we can say yes or the reason we have to say no.

I think about this all the time.

I've worked hard to turn exercise into a habit and a hobby. It's a routine, it's just a part of my life at this point. Like brushing my teeth.

Does that mean I always want to do it? Gosh no.

But I love what I get from it - in the short term and the long term.

You don't have to enjoy exercising to do it. You can show up, work hard, complain, and still get it done, because of what you get out of it.

Whatever your choice of movement is, you do it because of the huge impact it has on your life.

Because what we do in the gym gives us the life we want outside of it.

It gives us the freedom to say yes.

When you lift heavy in the gym, you can carry a 50 lb suitcase through airports, bus terminals, and train stations sometimes running to your connection because your last train was delayed.

(My motto is if I can lift it, I can pack it)

When you run, squat, and build strong knees, you can do the most steep, treacherous hike you've ever imagined.

When you train your back to be strong and capable outside of a neutral spine, you don't throw your back out doing yard work, picking up dog food, or cleaning out your garage.

And if you've been told to avoid certain movements - this one's worth a read: www.made2movept.com/post/7-beliefs-holding-you-back-from-solving-your-pain

When you prepare your body, exercise regularly, and push your limits, you can live the life you want.

Every single workout, run, group class, and hard thing adds an opportunity to your life - like adding an exercise token you get to spend enjoying life.

The hard work we do in the gym is what allows us to say yes.

Because the hardest thing we do is the hardest thing we can do.

Read it again.

the hardest thing you can do is limited by the hardest thing you consistently do.

If the hardest things you do are walking up and down the stairs, taking walks, and standing up from a chair, those will become your limits: the hardest things you can do.

If the heaviest thing you lift is your own body standing up from a chair, that's your one rep max. Every time you stand up, it's exhausting. Every flight of stairs is a max effort.

That's what we call 1RM (one rep max) living. And trust me, you don't want to live life that way.

This is exactly why we talk about impact and stress being good for your joints - not bad: www.made2movept.com/post/should-your-knees-go-over-your-toes

A one rep max is your absolute limit - 10 out of 10 effort, the most you're capable of in a single repetition.

With 1RM living, daily life becomes extremely challenging. Daily life becomes the thing that breaks you down.

This might seem dark and scary, but with this tough love, I do have some good news:

You can change it at any time.

We are humans, not cars.

We have the capacity to adapt, grow, and become more capable at literally any age.

We're only limited by the limitations we put on ourselves.

Dang, that hit hard.

Here's my action for you: picture the life you want in 20, 30, 40, and 50 years.

What does it look like?

What do you want to be able to say yes to?

Do you want to be able to walk up and down the stairs?

Travel, explore, see the world, try new things?

Be the cool, active parent (or grandparent??)

Be capable and independent?

Get on and off the toilet by yourself?

The time to build that is NOW.

The actions you take and habits you instill NOW have a massive impact on your life LATER.

The things you avoid, the workouts you skip, the injury you put off addressing, the dumbbells in your office that hear you say "I'll start tomorrow..."

Have a massive impact on your life LATER.

Are the things you're doing today building the capacity your future self is going to need and thank you for?

Our bodies are either the reason we can say yes or the reason we have to say no.

What are you doing so that you can say yes?

If you're in Charleston and you're ready to start building that capacity - here's how we work: www.made2movept.com/post/best-physical-therapy-charleston-active-adults-athletes